Transcription profiling by array of mouse developing ureters

The mammalian ureter contains a water-tight epithelium surrounded by smooth muscle. Key molecules have been defined which regulate ureteric bud initiation and drive the differentiation of ureteric mesenchyme into peristaltic smooth muscle. Less is known about mechanisms underlying the developmental patterning of the multilayered epithelium characterising the mature ureter. In skin, which also contains a multilayered epithelium, cytokeratin 15 (CK15), an intermediate filament protein, is a marker for cells whose progeny contribute to epidermal regeneration following wounding. Moreover, CK15+ precursor cells in skin can give rise to basal cell carcinomas. In the current study, using transcriptome microarrays of embryonic wild type mouse ureters, we detected Krt15, coding for CK15.哺乳动物输尿管（mammalian ureter）含有一层防水上皮（water-tight epithelium），其外围环绕平滑肌（smooth muscle）。目前已明确若干关键分子，可调控输尿管芽（ureteric bud）的起始发生，并驱动输尿管间充质（ureteric mesenchyme）分化为具有蠕动功能的平滑肌。但针对作为成熟输尿管特征的复层上皮发育模式的潜在调控机制，目前仍知之甚少。在同样含有复层上皮的皮肤组织中，细胞角蛋白15（cytokeratin 15，CK15）作为一种中间丝蛋白（intermediate filament protein），可作为一类细胞的标志物：该类细胞的子代可参与创伤后表皮的再生修复。此外，皮肤中CK15阳性的前体细胞可诱发基底细胞癌（basal cell carcinomas）。本研究通过对野生型小鼠胚胎输尿管进行转录组微阵列（transcriptome microarrays）分析，检测到了编码CK15的Krt15基因。